Barwell FC continue to pursue promotion

BACK on track again, after what manager Jimmy Ginnelly called their "Chelsea month," Barwell FC prepare to meet mid-table Belper at Kirkby Road on Saturday in their pursuit of a second successive promotion.

BACK on track again, after what manager Jimmy Ginnelly called their "Chelsea month," Barwell FC prepare to meet mid-table Belper at Kirkby Road on Saturday in their pursuit of a second successive promotion.

Champions of the Midland Alliance last season, the Canaries lead the Evo Stik League First Division South by seven points from Newcastle Town – who have two games in hand.

Last weekend’s game at third placed Kidsgrove Athletic was postponed due to the effects of the weather and although the Belper clash will be the first with Barwell, Ginnelly is familiar with the Derbyshire side from his previous clubs.

He said: "They are a very good, well-organised side and if we are not on the ball we could get caught out, but we have had our wake-up call and should be OK."

The Barwell boss was referring to a spell when until two 3-0 victories over Rainworth Miners Welfare and Sheffield FC last week, they had not won in 2011, had seen a commanding lead in the league reduce to a catchable gap and went out of both the league and county challenge cups.

However, rather than this being a sign that the club had lost its way – like Chelsea were thought by some to be in a similar poor run – Jimmy feels a lot of those games could have gone either way and different factors were at play, rather than one underlying cause.

"We are a good side and never stopped believing in ourselves, just waiting for the tide to turn," he said.

One reason for the change in fortunes was the addition of three new signings.

The Barwell boss said: "The dressing room was getting a bit stale so I brought in some fresh faces, Jai Stanley and Lee Greenway from Bedworth and Dennis Pearce from Stratford, who are all experienced players, older and wiser heads."

For the Belper match he is awaiting fitness reports on two injured players while Nigel Julien will definitely be out again, serving the last of a six-match ban.